


A Little Haunted

by conceptstage



Series: Single Chapter Critical Role [54]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:52:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: The Nein are kids and there's a haunted house. I don't know.





	A Little Haunted

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Fjord asked, staring up at the dark windows and twisting his fingers nervously. He was the second oldest, nine in a month, but it was common knowledge that he was a baby in situations like this.

“What? Are you scared?” Nott teased. No one was really sure how old she was, goblins aged weird but she insisted that she wasn’t yet a teenager.

“Yes.”

Jester giggled and leaned against his arm. She had just turned eight a few weeks ago. “I’ll hold your hand, Fjord,” she said, reaching down to intertwine their fingers. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Fjord frowned but didn’t pull his hand away. He blushed and tugged awkwardly on his collar. “O-Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Come on, slow asses!” Beau called from the doorway. She was only a few months older than Jester. She leaned against the doorframe and it crumbled under her hand. She cringed and wiped off the dark wood remains on her pants. “Let’s go before this house falls apart on top of us.”

Caleb, the oldest of their friend group, frowned at her as he stepped up on the porch beside her. “Is that house going to fall down on top of us?”

“No, of course not. Probably.”

He rolled his eyes and peeked into one of the broken windows. “You think it’s really haunted?”

“Are you scared too?” she teased.

“No, I’m just curious whether or not you believe the stories.”

“Course not. This town isn’t cool enough to actually be haunted. There is no one who died here who would want to come back.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “What do you know about Mister Yerrin?” he asked.

“Not much. He died before my dad was born. There’ve been stories about this place ever since. My aunt said that she saw a pale man staring at her out one of the upstairs windows when she was a kid.”

The others made it up beside them on the porch and Beau grinned as she lead them inside.

“Where’s Ducie?” Nott asked. “I thought he was going to be here?”

“He hasn’t shown up. He’s probably been eaten by the ghost,” Jester said, grinning with pointed teeth.

Fjord turned on his heel. “Nope. I’m out.”

Jester gasped and held tightly onto his hand to keep him from leaving. “No! It was only a joke, I’m sorry! He’s fine, I saw him an hour ago. He’s probably just late. Please come with us.”

Fjord sighed but moved to continue following the group, his eyes flicking around back and forth. The walls were dark and peeling with mold and crumbling corners. The main hallway split off into a sitting room and a dining room. The chandelier was stripped of crystal and the chairs that used to go with the broken table were also missing. They looked around the rooms and then moved on to the kitchen. The tiles on the floor were cracked and crunched under their feet as they walked through the heavy silence. 

There was a creaking noise from farther in the house and Fjord squeaked, squeezing Jester’s hand in his own and looked around. “What was that?”

Beau grinned and moved around him back out into the hallway. “Let’s go find out.”

“Beau,” Caleb hissed as he hurried out behind her. “Stay together.”

Nott jogged to catch up to Caleb and Fjord hurried after them, pulling Jester behind him. “Don’t leave us alone in here!” he called.

Beau walked cautionlessly up the crumbling stairs. One of the stairs fell apart under her foot and she held onto the railing to keep herself up. “I’m fine,” she said, when she saw Caleb open his mouth to speak. She kept going up and paused at the top of the stairwell. “Shhh. I’m trying to listen.” She peeked into the nearest room and looked around the room illuminated with moonlight. “I think it came from in here.” She stepped inside and waited until everyone else had made it inside. “This is the window where my aunt saw the ghost thirty years ago.”

“We should leave,” Fjord said, taking a single step backwards. “Let’s not bother the nice man.”

The closet door banged open and Fjord and Jester screeched, gripping each other’s arms. Nott jumped into Caleb’s arms and gripped his lapels. A pale white figure draped in see through white clothes stepped out of the closet and raised a finger to point at them. “What are you doing in my house?” it asked, his voice low and shaking.

Fjord and Jester screamed and turned around to run down the stairs with Nott leaping from Caleb’s arms and rushing after them.

Beau screamed dramatically and fell to the ground. “Oh noooo! It’s Mister Yerrin! He’s come to consume our souls!”

Caleb sighed and shook his head. “Who’s under the illusion?” he asked. They could still hear the screaming as their friends made it outside.

Beau grinned at him and propped herself up on her arms. “I knew it wouldn’t fool you.”

The illusion fell away and Mollymauk started laughing, leaning against the wall to hold himself up. “Did you see their faces?” he gasped through his laughter.

Beau cackled and got back to her feet. “It looked like their eyes were gonna pop out of their heads.” Molly threw an arm over her shoulder and leaned against her to laugh in her hair. “You’re so heavy,” she hissed but didn’t stop laughing. “That was the fucking best. Let’s go catch up with them before they run to… Zadash…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened as she stared at something over Caleb’s shoulder. Molly followed her eyes and his grip on her shoulders tightened.

Caleb frowned and turned around. There was a dark figure, easily a foot taller than any of them, standing silently in the doorway. It didn’t move, just stood there, staring at them. “Oh, and who is this?” he asked, stepping towards the figure. “Who else did you rope into this?”

“Caleb!” Beau hissed, reaching for him but not stepping towards him. “Caleb, they’re not with us. That’s not us.” When Caleb got near the figure it reached up towards him. Beau dashed forward then and pulled Caleb back sharply. He tripped over his feet and tumbled to the floor. “Who are you?” she hissed. “What do you want?” The figure reached for her instead and she screamed, grabbing Caleb’s arm and pulling him back across the floor. “Go away!”

The hand that had reached for them, instead started reaching up to figure’s own face. With a swipe, it wiped away the dark substance covering its eyes and mouth. “Caduceus?” Molly asked. His entire body sagged in relief. “What the fuck is that all over you?”

“I fell in mud.”

Beau crouched down beside Caleb and covered her face in embarrassment. “Don’t tell anybody about that?”

Caleb sighed and pat her shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Molly snickered and walked over to look Caduceus up and down. “Well, I am telling everybody.”

“It scared you too!” she complained, following him out of the room.

“Yes, but I’m not the one who was so scared she ran in to save Caleb from our big scary friend.” They bickered down the stairs and out the front door.

Caduceus turned to Caleb and frowned. “Will you help me clean up?”

Caleb sighed and got to his feet. “Sure. Let’s get you home.”


End file.
